HINTS ON LOCH-FISHING. 113 



islands or shoals in the middle which it is desirable to 

 reach; and the angler can of course accommodate him- 

 self to the wind, when there is any, by fishing from the 

 bank on which it favours his cast. 



Loch-fishing can seldom be practised with much 

 success without a smart breeze. Occasionally, towards 

 sunset on a calm evening, trout will begin to rise to the 

 fly with surprising readiness, and a lucky hour of that 

 kind is often worth a whole day's work. But as a rule, 

 when a lake lies like a calm blue sheet, reflecting every 

 hill and shadow, it is better to take to the streams 

 which feed it, however insignificant they may be. For- 

 tunately the visitor to St. Mary's has no difficulty, and 

 when ^Eolus refuses to do his duty, he need not cast 

 a single longing lingering look behind, as he turns to 

 the Meggat, Little Yarrow, or any of the neighbouring 

 burns. In St. Mary's he must use larger flies than in 

 river-fishing, although it is unnecessary to use them 

 of the sizes sold by the tackle-makers for the northern 

 lochs. His largest size should indeed be a size smaller 

 than the smallest Highland flies, nor should they be of 

 the gaudy hues that take the fancy of the inhabitants 

 of Loch Kannoch or Loch Lubnaig. The drake-wing 

 is a good fly in all its combinations, and it is advisable 

 to experiment with a green or a yellow body ; but 

 except perhaps when the waters are coloured there is 

 no necessity for tinsel, and the common-winged flies, 

 dressed a size larger, will be found in general the most 

 killing. When the day is dark and the breeze strong, 

 the larger and brighter flies ought to be employed. 

 On such days, should the fish rise reluctantly to the 

 fly, the angler should take at once to the minnow, 



